International Trade

The Farm Foundation Forum held a panel discussion today to address food and agriculture issues likely to be faced by the next administration. Ken Barbic, senior director of federal government affairs, participated in the event and focused on labor issues.

In his remarks, Barbic outlined the need for immigration reform and the industry’s policy priorities, including legal status for existing workers and a new market-orientated visa program to replace the bureaucratic, costly and challenged H-2A program.

Last week, USDA, Foreign Agricultural Service announced that China added the United States to the list of countries that are required to perform anti-mosquito treatments for produce imports. WG sought clarification from government officials on some vague disinsection requirements, including exemption requirements for certain temperature-controlled commodities. Those clarifications are summarized below.

China has added the United States to the list of countries that are required to perform anti-mosquito treatment, effective August 5, 2016 (excludes shipments in transit prior to that date). The disinsection requirement appears to apply to the container or vessel and is NOT specific to the commodity. Although spelled out in the released information, WG is seeking clarification from government officials on this point.

Due to recent Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) violations on several export shipments, Western Growers reminds members that while the U.S. may have established tolerances on a particular pesticide/fungicide, other countries’ threshold limits may be lower or non-established.

Such violations will not only place the individual shipper on enhanced surveillance, but in many cases the importing country will increase the surveillance of the entire industry.